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Prajnaparamita, the Perfection of Knowledge Goddess
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Prajnaparamita, the Perfection of Knowledge Goddess
- Object:
Sculpture
- Date:
9th century-10th century (made)
- Artist/Maker:
Unknown (production)
- Materials and Techniques:
Bronze
- Museum number:
IS.21-1988
- Gallery location:
South-East Asia, room 47a, case 14
The Buddhist goddess Prajnaparamita is the personification of a Mahayanist Buddhist text of that name, written around the 8th century. The emergence of this goddess is an indication of the growing power of the cult of the Buddhist saviour figure, the Bodhisattva and the female counterpart, Tara. Prajnaparamita was seen as the embodiment of knowledge, the higher wisdom, and is often linked to Manjusri, the Buddhist personification of wisdom, though not as his sakti.
The goddess is in a meditation posture, with her manuscript supported on a lotus flower at her side. She is seated with crossed legs in a meditation posture, and has her hands poised before her chest in the dharmacakramudra (‘turning the wheel of law’) gesture, denoting expounding the Buddhist law (dharma). She is crowned with a small diadem and wears makara ear-ornaments, arm and wrist bracelets, and ankle ornaments.
The modelling of the figure suggests that this sculpture may be the product of the Mahayanist monastic workshops of Sri Lanka, most probably belonging to the late Anuradhapura or early Polonnaruwa periods. Historically Sri Lanka was a major centre for Mahayana Buddhism along with the Hinayana tradition, which prevails today. Later Sinhalese orthodox histories of Buddhism have largely erased the memory of this Mahayanist dimension to Buddhism in Sri Lanka, but the survival of masterpiece sculptures such as this makes its presence clear.
